Vue

Jalopnik.com reports General Motors will auction off a number of vehicles from its vaunted Heritage Center museum collection in an effort to raise cash to help offset the huge losses the company is faced with due to the global financial crisis. There are about 1000 vehicles of historical significance in storage that GM uses for the displays at the museum, but only about 150 to 200 of those vehicles can be featured at one time. On the list of vehicles to be auctioned are several notable Saturns from the past. The website says they will be sold at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction held January 13-19 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

SaturnFans.com has learned from several reliable sources that Saturn will discontinue its Vehicle Exchange Program (VEP) on December 31, 2008 in an effort to cut costs and help create a more profitable business model for the company in the future. The program will reportedly continue to be offered on new Saturn vehicles sold and delivered through the end of the month.

Saturn's 2009 Outlook, Sky Red Line, and upcoming Vue 2-Mode hybrid models all feature powerplants using "direct injection" (DI) technology to improve power, efficiency, and emissions. In a conventionally port fuel injected engine, air and fuel are mixed before they enter the combustion chamber. With General Motors' DI engines, fuel is sprayed directly into the cylinder where it is mixed with air.

Looking for the perfect gift for that special Saturn fan in your life? Look no further than SaturnCollection.com, where you can "rethink fashion" and find diverse and unique mix of products for every Saturn enthusiast on your shopping list. The Saturn-backed website features officially licensed gear including athletic apparel, eco-friendly merchandise made of environmentally friendly materials, premium wear products, along with an assortment of vehicle-specific items.

General Motors' 3.6L direct injection V6 VVT has been named to Ward's AutoWorld magazine's 2009 "Ten Best Engines" list for North America. The engine is within GM's growing portfolio of direct injection engines and part of GM's overall strategy to equip vehicles with advanced propulsion technologies that improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

General Motors announced today a significant reduction of planned production for the first quarter of 2009 due to the ongoing and severe drop in industry sales, which were down 36% in November overall and 41% for GM (2007 vs. 2008). The impact of these and recently announced actions to adjust production with market demand, will result in the temporary idling of approximately 30% of GM's North American assembly plant volume during the first quarter of 2009 and will remove approximately 250,000 units from production.

"Amid the dire predictions for General Motors' future, here's a bright spot: the 2009 Saturn Vue 2-Mode hybrid," Bob Gritzinger from AutoWeek writes in a recent issue. "Saturn says that its gasoline-electric hybrid Vue, set to go on sale by March, will be the world's most fuel-efficient V6 sport-utility vehicle.

Consumers attending the Tampa Bay International Auto Show Friday-Sunday, November 7-9 will have a unique opportunity to truly 'experience' the GM display by getting behind the wheel and test driving many of the General Motors' new, fuel-efficient vehicles.

AutoBlogGreen is running a poll asking readers to choose their "Green Car of the Year", based on the Green Car Journal's five finalists already selected. GCJ will announce their best pick, and will present the chosen manufacturer with the coveted 2009 Green Car of the Year trophy during the LA Auto Show later this month. For now, the '09 Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid could use your help battling it out with the other finalists - the Ford Fusion hybrid, the BMW 335d, the VW Jetta TDI and the Smart ForTwo - in ABG's poll.

I have my first new car ever, and I love it: a 2006 Saturn Vue. It isn't my first Saturn, though. I had a 1995 Saturn SL2 that I drove into the ground. I bought it used, on the cheap, since it was a rebuild from a wreck. About 7400 original miles were on the odometer, and at $8700 it was too good to pass up, since it was only three years old when I bought it.

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Saturn is offering current owners 1500 more reasons to stay in the family. "These days, it seems good news is hard to come by, particularly in the car industry," said an email received by SaturnFans.com earlier today. Current Saturn owners can receive $1,500 in Owner Appreciation Cash toward a 2009 Aura, Outlook, or Vue. Owner Appreciation Cash is also good for $750 toward a 2008 Astra, $1,000 toward a 2009 Sky, and can be combined with other cash offers.